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Whirlpool Washer Transmission Repair

A few months ago our whirlpool washer wouldn’t spin. It did everything else, but it was pretty worthless without the spin function because the clothes would just be sitting at the bottom of it completely soaked after a wash. Of course, the first thing I did was go to Google and type in “Whirlpool washer won’t spin” and got a lot of hits on some great websites. Most of them were repair websites and forums sponsored by kind individuals who freely share their knowledge such as fixitnow.com. Others are sponsored by companies who sell parts to DIY homeowners, like repairclinic.com.

The forums always suggest the most common and easy fixes first, like the lid switch, which wasn’t my problem. So I had to start disassembling the washer because the next item on the list was the coupling on the motor. Fortunately, these websites have directions on how to get the washer open, which takes very little effort, as long as you know which screws to remove and in what order. I knew that the coupling was unlikely to be the failed item because the agitator was still working and it would be unlikely that a failed coupling would allow that to work. Then I started looking at the clutch/brake mechanism and that also looked OK. Finally, I figured it had to be the transmission, one of the hardest items to remove. I had the entire washer torn apart and moved to the kitchen because our laundry room is more of an alcove in the entryway between the garage and the kitchen.

After pulling the transmission, I was faced with the prospect of taking it apart, knowing it would be filled with heavy oil.

To pull your washer’s transmission, you need to remove a bolt at the top of the shaft holding it to the agitator. To expose that bolt, you have to pull off the plastic cap on the top of agitator as well as another translucent seal below it. Note the translucent cap has an o-ring seal on it. Make sure to put it back in properly when you re-assemble the washer to keep water out of that bolt’s compartment or it will rust and fuse with the shaft.

I carefully took out all the screws holding on the transmission’s top cover and drained the oil into a jar. This was going to a really messy job and so I put on some vinyl mechanics gloves.

I was amazed at the complexity of the transmission. It has to perform several functions, all without any input other than the direction the motor. For instance, it has to agitate, spin, and also go into neutral without any shifters or solenoids. The same motor is simultaneously running the pump from a portion of the drive shaft that comes out the other end. The transmission uses a rather complex plate of pawls, gears, and cams on something called the ‘rack retainer’. I was trying to simulate spinning the motor forward and backward and thus I could shift it from spin mode to agitate mode, but I couldn’t get it into spin. It was then that I realized that something called a ‘shoulder pawl stud’ was broken off at its threads and the rack retainer was spinning freely. This pawl stud works as an axle and also as a way of getting the plate to spin along with the spin gear, but it was broken with its threads embedded in the main gear. So I had to find a new pawl stud and figure out a way to extract the threads from the hole they were in. I was pretty sure that the threads had some locking compound on them and they weren’t going to come out easily.

The pawl stud wasn’t available as a separate part, but there was something called the Neutral Drain Pack from Repairclinic.com which included a lot of parts, including 2 different studs, since Whirlpool evidently beefed up the threads for the newer models, no doubt because it was a weak point. The upside to that is that if I ruined the threads extracting the broken stud, I could drill and tap it for the larger stud and newer rack retainer. So as my wife headed off to the laundry mat with a load of wash, I order the parts on line. The neutral drain kit was about $17 + $6 shipping. In the meantime, I tried to drill the screw threads out of the main drive gear. I broke a drill bit doing it, but got enough of a hole down through the middle of the broken screw shaft that I thought I’d have success with an ‘easy out’. I took it into work and borrowed an easy out and with the help of an arbor press to apply pressure to the easy out, I extracted the broken screw without doing any damage to the threads.

A few days later, the parts arrived. The kit contained a lot more parts than I needed. I replaced all the old parts with new ones, figuring after 15 years of service, there was no point in reassembling things with old parts when I had new ones right there. Getting everything back together required some head scratching, but after thinking it through, I was able to manually operate the transmission and check the agitate and neutral modes.

After a little fiddling everything went back together and I ran a cycle through without clothes and was very happy when the spin mode began working again. Now it’s been working for a few years, I figured that the $23 and my time was worth it because if I had a repairman do it, I’m sure it would have been over $300 because he would have likely replaced the whole transmission. That would be beyond the value of the washer. It was also better than throwing it away and buying a new one for somewhere between $600-900. I generally don’t fix things myself just for the savings because if you consider my time, it’s not really saving me that much. I do it more for the educational experience and the satisfaction of knowing that if it ever breaks again, I can choose to either fix it myself or buy a new one, if we think it’s time for its retirement.

I’ve included the meager set of instructions for the Neutral Drain Pack in pdf format here.

UPDATE: 2009-01-07 I continue to get comments and emails on this posting. I just got one asking about getting the transmission apart and so I’ve uploaded a new picture that shows what a messy job this is. Click on it for a higher resolution image.

The snap ring (shown next to the screw driver laying on the newspaper) needs to be removed from the shaft to get the top cover off of it. I can’t recall if I had the proper snap ring pliers or if I used needle nose pliers ‘in reverse’ to spread open the snap ring by its holes. I managed to save all the oil and reuse it afterward, but if you lose some or it looks dirty you can get more from an appliance service center or use SAE 90 weight gear oil if you can’t find a service center.

There is also the possibility that your washer is caked with mud, so if the basket won’t spin, it may be clutch that is worn or can’t overcome the friction of mud caked between the basket and the tub like the image below:

This photo was sent to me by a reader who found mud stuck between the basket and tub. His washer wouldn’t spin because the clutch couldn’t overcome the friction caused by the mud. If your spin cycle is intermittent, then this could be the potential cause of it.

The lid switch, coupling and motor on my whirlpool washer checked out ok. As per your Jan. 2007 post, I purchased the neutral drain pack. No damage was evident in the transmission but I installed kit anyway. Machine is still disassembled. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance for your advice. Hawkeye

I just complete a replacement of the drive coupling on a kenmore washer. You do not have to take the cabinet off to do this. Just tip the unit against a wall and undo the motor straps. Pull off the motor and replace the coupling with a “newer model” part sold at Sears or ebay Make sure it is the A model with metal center insert. I am not mechanically inclined and did the job in about half an hour.

Thanks for the info about the Whirlpool transmission. My machine was intermittent in going into the spin cycle. Pulled the tranny and discovered that the trip lever spring was broken. Installed a “neutral drain kit” and bingo, my 10 yr machine was back in operation.

Thanks for giving me the inspiration to tear apart the tranny. Not that bad to make a repair on the inside..

Hi Lee! You are a wonderful human being for posting this to your site. I just took apart my washer down to it’s guts, and I think I am doing something wrong. The big rod that runs through the middle is holding everything together, and I can’t get the transmission off. I was able to pry it open after removing the screws, and I even saved the oil that ran out, but I can’t get it off. I can only peek inside with a flashlight. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I don’t want to buy a new washer, especially after I’ve come this far. Any suggestions?

I’ve put an addendum on the end of my posting that shows a snap ring that I’m pretty sure I had to remove to get the top cover off. Maybe you can try looking for that and see if it’s what is still holding things together.

If you follow the links in the posting, you’ll find that the machine comes apart by removing two screws, a few clamps and and ‘tipping’ the body forward, almost like a cab-over Peterbuilt. Once you remove the skin, the interior parts are accessible. However, to get the transmission out, you need to tip the washer over on its back because the agitator shaft that goes up into the bale is quite long.

I avoided spilling the oil when I removed the top of the transmission, so I didn’t need to add any more, but according to some other Internet web pages where guys did have to replace the oil, 90W was recommended. You can buy it from an appliance repair shop, but it’s not cheap. It costs about $20/pint at Repairclinic.com. I’d suggest an auto parts store. If they have a multi-viscosity like 75w90 gear oil, that would work too.

My Whirlpool washer direct drive unit occasionally will not spin. If I fiddle with it, it will start spinning. I’m afraid this may become progressively worse. Is this a clutch problem? I don’t want to get too deep into the transmission if I don’t have to.
Any suggestions? Thanks.

If your washer will begin spinning after fiddling with it, then it could be a clutch issue. The clutch is outside of the transmission and if it’s slipping, you should be able to hear the motor spinning and a slipping sound coming from the clutch. You may even be able to touch it to see if it’s hot (do it quickly, because a slipping clutch can get very hot). I had a guy send me a photo of a washer that would no longer spin and there was mud caked in between the basket and the outside tub, and the clutch could not overcome the friction. He had to remove the basket and remove the basket to clean off the mud and then everything worked fine. You’d think that a washer would be somewhat ‘self cleaning’, but I guess there are places where mud can accumulate. I’ve added the photos to show the clutch location and mud accumulation.

thanks guys; i just started checking out a machine that has no agitator movement. It’s a used one that was constantly over-loaded with heavy terry. I’d like to get it running as it’s much better than my current machine. Any ideas as to what to look for in the transmission, or couplings that may have broken with the excess load? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

my kenmore washer has had the motor coupling replaced when it was just 2 years old. now, 3 years later, i notice trnsmission oil on the bolts and oil getting on clothes that have just been washed. is there a seal that could be leaking the oil, the gasket between the halves of the transmission, and is there a filler hole somewhere that oil can be added or checked, in the transmission? thank you

Hey!! I was just looking for some solution (besides the $300 quote that I just got from a repairman…..and that was with warranty!!!) for my non spinning washing machine. He said it was a Bad Basket Drive Transmission. Is that 2 different things? Or is it just the the transmission itself? I am pretty sure that I can do this myself. How does the warranty work? This is our first problem with this machine, so I need some advice. Thank You SOOOOOOOOO much for your posting. Stefanie

Hi Stephanie, The basket drive transmission is the only transmission on the Whirlpool washer I wrote about. It doesn’t surprise me you’d get a quote like that. My recollection is that a new transmission was about $200 and the labor would easily be $100 (assuming $75/hr). If you have a handyman around the house, or you can do it yourself, you can take the transmission off and see if it is something easy to fix like it was in my case (a sheared screw/pinion). As for warranty, if your machine is still in the warranty period, then you shouldn’t have to pay anything. You may wish to contact the retailer or manufacturer if the washer should still be under warranty.

Our Sears (Whirlpool)washer quit spinning this weekend. As it was going out it was making a terrible noise during the spin cycle and we were fortunate to get one last load through it. Finally it would no longer spin.

After reading this I went ahead and pulled the transmission and when I opened it up I found that the teeth on the spin gear were completely stripped off. With all the little teeth pieces in the oil I will have to clean it out well and replace the oil.

I found the gear on Repair Clinic (they sell it with a new pinion so $70.00) but I have to wonder what would cause something like this to happen? Any thoughts?

By just replacing the gear could I be missing the actual problem only to have the new one get stripped clean as well? Or could this just be from years of heavy use? I had to replace the motor to trans coupling last year.

I’d recommend you take a good look around for anything else that might be wrong with the transmission. One way for teeth to get stripped off a gear is for the pinions on which the gears spin to become worn, which can allow the gears to back away from each other. When that happens, then the stresses on the teeth are high because they are not fully engaged and once you break one tooth, the rest will start shearing off too. You should also look to see if there is anything causing the basket to get stuck by making sure it spins free. If it doesn’t, there could be something stuck between the tub and the basket or possibly a bad bearing on the basket. Anything that prevents the tub from spinning would cause excessive force on the gears. Normally, the motor coupling is the part that sacrifices its life, as it is a designed to break first, sort of like a fuse protects an electrical circuit so make sure to take a good look in the transmission for any other potential broken or worn parts.

So are you saying that with the gearcase removed from the machine that the tub should ‘spin’ freely? Because ours does not, I have to work it around by hand with a fair amount of force. Haven’t looked further yet but is the bearing replaceable?

I don’t see anything else in the gearcase that looks broken. Would it be safe to use an engine degreaser to clean out all the old oil? With all the teeth off the spin gear I really need to clean it out good and completely replace the oil.

Yes, the coupling is what went last year. I wonder if damage to the spin gear began back then?

Normally the tub doesn’t spin freely. I had assumed that if you had the motor out, it would spin freely. However, there is also a clutch mechanism has brake at the bottom of the tub, so check to see if that is what’s holding the tub from spinning. If so, then what you’re feeling is normal. There may be a way to manually override this clutch/brake mechanism to see if the tub’s bearings need replacing. I’ve not done that repair, but perhaps you can find some advice on one of the other repair sites on the Internet like this one:

Thank you for the link. I followed his advice and put some high temp grease on the drum per his picture. With the gear case out of the way you can use the small cam on the brake and rotate the tub with your fingers. It releases the brake and then the tub seemed to rotate pretty easily. I also took off the plastic piece that covers the top of the tub and looked around inside for any items that could cause binding but didn’t see anything.

Finally, I cleaned out the gear case real well, scraped off the old form-a-gasket and could not see any other damage other than the stripped spin gear. So tomorrow morning I am going to order the spin gear and pinion.

Thanks again for your post, it gave me just the confidence I needed to dig into this thing. Now all that’s left is to get it back together correctly.

Hi Lee, Great posts.
I have worked my way through several problems but am left with one for which I can find no how to info. I have an oil leak at the transmission input shaft. The seal kit is readily available but there is no apparent reasonable way to remove the old seal.

It looks like the shaft & seal were pressed in. There is no room to drive the shaft out and no way to grip the seal from the outside to pull it. I can probably drill, cut and dig the seal out and risk more damage

In the case of my washer, the bearing and seal were held in place by a snap ring. You can see the snap ring in this image. If you can’t figure out how the seal is held in, look for some kind of a snap ring since you can press fit bearings on a shaft, but seals generally need to be replaced and are made of a soft material like rubber or felt so they have to be removable. I would be quite surprised if the manufacturer made it impossible to replace the seal.

Thanks for the advice. The seal in question is for the input shaft which is mounted horizontally and drives the worm gear that is not visible in the picture. There is no snap ring or other retainer that I could see. This machine has some other problem that apparently causes it to lockup completely only occasionally. The problem has caused the drive coupler to break, and after replacing the all plastic coupler with the “heavy duty” metal hub model, the motor and transmission shafts to be rounded off. I fixed that by shimming the shafts with JB Weld. After that repair the leak started so I will have to take credit for somehow damaging the seal. Regardless this is only a temporary situation as we have decided to replace this machine.

Sorry, I didn’t realize you were talking about the input shaft. I noticed that this web page has a list of parts and down around the bottom, they have the seal you mentioned. It is part 285352 and is a kit which appears to contain several seals, which indicates that they may have changed it over time and now just supply a set and you pick the one that fits. I also found a good picture of the input shaft.

In looking around the Internet, I found a discussion of someone who used a large socket to push a thrust seal (p/n AP3043580) into place, which seems to indicate it slides in place. Those seals can be tricky to get out sometimes requiring you to grip them with needle nose pliers to rip them out sometimes in pieces if they are stuck. Here’s another web page that shows a kit of 3 seals for $8 that are intended to replace the lower seal. Based on the diagram at the top, it appears to slide into place (it’s item 21 on that diagram).

Hi Lee, My whirlpool washer is about seven years old and began making this awful sound when it goes into the spin cycle. Everything works fine except spin. After looking closer at it I can see the agitator actually stops or jambs up, then restarts and does this continually. After reading your page here I thought I would tackle opening up the trans case and see if anything was wrong but after opening it up I couldn’t see anything wrong with any of the gears or parts. No chipped gears, no broken plastic parts and no metal shavings. Put back together and still doing the same thing. I posted a video to youtube if you would like to see and hear it. I appreciate any advice or ideas you have to offer. I’m beginning to consider a new washer. Thanks

Hi Richard, Your washer is considerably newer than the one I fixed with the neutral drain kit. I’m not sure what could be making that kind of noise, but is sure sounds like gear teeth slipping based on its frequency. The transmission has several functions. One function is to switch between agitate and spin depending on motor speed by using the centrifugal speed of some weights inside the transmission. When the motor is spinning backwards, it also shifts the transmission into neutral (which is what happens during the drain cycle). At high speed, the neutral drain plate makes agitator and basket move in the same direction. So it appears that it’s not transitioning smoothly between the agitate and the spin, because it appears that it’s trying to do both, at least initially. When I had the problem, I didn’t get a noise like yours, but it seemed to go bad gradually, so maybe something is bent or worn. I’m sure that in my case, before the pin sheared, it probably bent and so sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn’t.

Another area to look would be the clutch/brake mechanism that makes the drum spin in along with the agitator. There may also be something stripped on the shaft inside the agitator.

Also, with your video, there are some other appliance repair forums where someone may look at it and tell you immediately what is wrong so I’d recommend you ask around on other forums.

I love the site, there is a lot of great info here. I too am having a problem with my 17 year old Whirlpool washer (model # LSR5233ANO). It is old but in great shape. It has just started leaking oil and it leaves water in the tub after spincycle. If mess with the controls, I can get it to spin. I consider myself handy and with some guidance, I think I can fix this. I know I can replace the clutch parts. It is the transmission leak that I am worried about. Can you tell me the parts I would need to fix this issue? Are these parts model specific? I’ve got three boys so we do at least 6 to 8 loads a week. If I can get this fixed it would be a great savings. I really don’t want to shell out the cash for a new washer. Not right after Christmas, if you know what I mean. Thanks for any help you can offer. – Dennis

The most likely candidates for leaks are the shaft seals in the bottom of the transmission case. Take a look and see if it’s from the motor shaft or the vertical shaft. If you look at a response I made in this thread, there are some links to a site that sells these seals. In the case of the motor shaft, which is horizontal, it appears that you get 3 seals and use the one that fits. My guess is that by providing 3 seals, they cover all the variations in the transmissions that have been made over the years. The only other place for oil to leak is where the case upper and lower come together, and that’s just sealed with a bead of silicone. As for the water left in the tub, that’s not part of the transmission, since the pump is connected to other side of the motor. When it spins in reverse, it runs the pump and that’s what empties the tub.

Lee, thanks for the advice. I have to tell you I am captivated by your blog. I did see that you are from NEPA. I live in Scranton and was just up in Waymart on Saturday looking at the windfarm. I also work in Wilkes-Barre and there is a windfarm not far from my office. It sure is a small world. Thanks again and happy holidays. – Dennis

I didn’t need to take my shaft out of my transmission case, but generally, shafts are secured with a ‘c’ or ‘e’ type snap rings. You can remove these snap rings with snap ring pliers, or sometimes with needle nose pliers. I’m not aware of anyone who sells the shaft independently of the transmission, so you may need to replace the whole transmission if the transmission shaft has gone bad unless you have the equipment to repair it yourself.

I have the same problem with the transmission shaft being rounded off. I managed to get it out but it takes a good effort. There is a rather soft metal sleeve holding the shaft/gear in the transmission. At first I was worried that this sleeve was threaded into the transmission case because there were 4 slots on the circumference which you can see from the inside of the transmission. I should mention that you need to completely disassemble the transmission to get this piece removed. It turns out that the sleeve is pressed in. I managed to mangle the seal while removing it but you may be able to save it if you’re so inclined.

To remove the shaft/gear you need to clamp a vise grip to the rounded input shaft and hammer the gear housing until you work it loose. It’s not pretty but it’s the only way that I can see to get it out. If you leave the seal alone it will come out with the gear. Hammer away and be patient. You will see the gap inside the case starting to get larger between the thrust washer and the pressed-in sleeve. Eventually it works its way out.

Unless you have the tools/skills to rebuild the shaft I wouldn’t bother. Just replace the transmission. I would wager a guess that this part is not meant to be serviceable.

My whirlpool machine is 9 years old. I noticed six months ago that it started to make a stud noise when spinning which I though was just normal because of its heavy load. Until last week when finally the noise starts to be loud and grinding that is becoming unbearable to ignore. So I thought it might just be the motor coupling that gave way, and replaced it. But the grinding noise is still there. And even when I took out the agitator to test, and just leave the shaft open while the tub spins, the grnding noise is still there. Could this be the transmission that need replacement?

Hello Lee,
Your site has been a big help. I’ve torn apart the transmission and changed the broken parts. tested it with the motor and it works great until i put the transmission cover on, then the clutch will not spin properly or strong enough to make the basket spin. I’ve greased the seals and filled with new oil. the clutch spins great without the cover on. i’m really struggling with this and I am done buying parts. the pinon is new and fits very snug through the cover but moves by hand. any ideals with this?

Hi Manuel, The basket and tub sometimes get stuck together so check for any dirt and or clothing that might be causing them to bind. Also, there is a brake that stop the basket from moving when not in spin mode. Make sure that it is not stuck. The other possibility is a worn clutch that is slipping.

hey Lee, the clutch is new. the basket spins great manually. this is about the gearbox. i have the cover off but still connected to the motor. when i run it with gearbox cover off everything seems to work fine. the clutch spins fast and hard. but when i put the gearbox cover on, the clutch hardly spins and i can stop it with my finger. the pinon fits very snug in the seal, but will rotate by hand.

Hi Lee,
This site has been so helpful. I have a kenmore elite direct drive washer #11023032102. In the past year I’ve replaced the agitator dogs and the motor coupling, now the tub isn’t spinning and the agitator is hardly (if not) moving. I assumed it was the motor coupling again so I ordered it, went to put it on and noticed it was completely fine. I then started checking as many things as I could and now I’m trying to get to the transmission. I removed the snap clip and all the bolts holding the top, but it seems like the top is welded down. I mean it doesn’t budge at all. I’m beginning to think it was made not to open, because they’d rather me replace the entire tranny instead of just a piece. A few people told me they started doing this with newer appliances… have you heard of such a thing. It truly frustrates me that I don’t have the chance to fix it on my own. Instead of approx. $17, I have to spend approx $200. (any suggestions on how to remove the top)?
Thanks for your Time:)
** Rachel **

We changed the coupler between the motor and transmission last week, while we had it apart a small amount of transmission oil leeked out. when we use it now there’s a slight burning rubber smell when its running, could the smell be from the new part or does the tranny need more oil replaced? It runs great.Thanks Ramona

Hi Rachel, Sorry for the delay in responding. I didn’t notice you had a question in your comment. I have not heard of anything like a ‘sealed transmission’. If it won’t come apart, it could just be the gasket material, which is a bit like an adhesive, is holding it together. You may need to pry the halves apart. If it was truly welded together, there probably wouldn’t be any bolts to remove.

The transmission holds about 12 oz. of oil, if I recall correctly. As long as you didn’t lose more than an ounce or so, then it’s unlikely that is will be a problem. A burning smell would indicate that it is something that is getting hot. I suppose the rubber coupling may be doing that and outgassing because it’s new. If it gets worse, then check for the source of the smell, but if it goes away, then it’s probably just the new part wearing in.

Hey Lee, I too am messing with the tranny of my whirpool waher. I broke the seal in the tranny cover and neeed to replace it (lost all the oil) and put oil in. i don’t want to over or under service the oil…I see you recommended 12 oz. If I have the cover off and am pouring the oil in, how can I visually tell that there is the right amount oil? Another question…I don’t think my transmission is bad, because with the cover off and while I’m rotating the input shaft to the right, the spin gear rotates just fine, and when I turn to the left, the spin gear disengages and there is a distinct click. The cam gear works great in both directions…does everything sound OK?…I don’t want to start pulling gears apart if I don’t have to.

My recollection was that the transmission was pretty full of oil, but below the flange. I’d suggest filling it until you’re about 1/4″ to 1/2″ below the lower flange. The way that the transmission works is hard to check just by spinning it by hand. Just take some pictures and good notes and put everything back together the way it came off. Check from any broken teeth on the plastic gears. These are not visible unless you pull some of the metal gears out of the transmission. I suspect that if you have gone through the trouble of removing the transmission that you were troubleshooting some problem, so it’s best to take a good look before putting it all back together.

Hi Bill, If you’re referring to the snap ring, which looks like a split washer with two tabs with holes in them, then I believe that is to hold on the clutch hub. If you scroll down to the bottom, you can find a pdf file of the service manual. Download that file and open it and I believe that this snap ring is what is referred to in Fig. 67. It may work without the snap ring, but it would be better to install it.

The transmission input shaft seal is easy to replace. I noticed about 1 oz of oil on the floor when we moved, twice. With help this website with all the good info, I removed the transmission and used a method I’ve use on automotive seals many times. Use an awl or a dental pick with one end ground off to hit with a mallet and the other straightened. Tap a small hole through the seal halfway between the outer casting and the shaft. It is easy to keep the awal away from the shaft (seal surface) and the casting. Tap all the way down till the awl hits the casting underneath. Then work the awl around to enlarge the hole. Now take a small flat blade screwdriver (not Phillips, as they are too blunt ended.) The screwdriver should be about 1/8 wide or slightly smaller. Place a corner of the blade in the hole you have made. Keep the blade perpendicular to an imaginary spoke from the shaft. Tap the screwdriver through the seal surface. (This is easy, the seal metal is relatively soft.) Then use another screwdriver as a fulcrum and push the first screwdriver under the seal metal and pry up.
The seal pops right out. You don’t even get close to the shaft (seal surface) or casting to damage them. An alternative method in some auto repair manuals is to tap holes in the seal face on opposite sides and screw in small sheet metal screws part way and alternately pry up on these. I find this method unnecessary. In either case, it is not difficult. Also, there are two oil circulation slots under the seal. I poured in 1 and 1/2 oz of gear oil, so I did not have to remove the transmission top to add oil.

I have the topload whirlpool washer bought in 1993. I just replaced the dog ears for the broken agitator top portion.

I have a drain problem once in a while. Sometimes, the water remains full after the compelete cycle, and sometimes water drain works perfectly normal. But sometimes, drain works partilly with the clothes wetter than normal. Whenever there is drain problem, if I redo the rinse cycle, usually, drain works fine.

I researched the web, trying to troubleshoot, but I have not yet found the cause since the problem is not there all the time.

One thing that I noticed is the little abnormal sound, in my opinion, coming from the bottom area of the washer during the wash cycle when the agitator is working. I recorded the sound.

Hi Rick,
It looks like you’ve removed some parts from the transmission, namely the spin gear along with the neutral drain plate. Without these, the shaft won’t spin. However, it does appear that the worm gear in the bottom of the transmission is spinning, and so that may not mean that the coupling needs to be replaced. In any event, it’s easy enough to remove the motor to check the coupling and see if it’s broken.

Hi Lee – I’m stumped by my LSR5233AW0. Replaced drive coupling recently and all was well until the agitator slowed when the timer was at 8 minutes on regular cycle. Made an awful noise for a few seconds but kept going and rest of wash pump and spin was fine. So I replaced the transmission but the noise is STILL there. Not as bad, but definitely only in the wash cycle at the transition point. I can manually skip this to rinse and then no problems all the way through spin. Any ideas? Something mechanical broke in the motor?

Hi Trevor, I’m not sure what kind of noise would come from the motor, other than perhaps a noise related to a failed bearing. That would sound like grinding or squealing. Sometimes bearings fail over time and they appear to self-heal until they fail catastrophically which usually means that they will seize. Since you’ve already replaced the transmission, I would have to assume that the problem lies either with the motor, the clutch/brake assembly, or in the spindle/basket area. Maybe if you can describe the noise, I might be able to further isolate the the source. Also, please download the troubleshooting manual linked to the posting to see if it has any clues in its troubleshooting section.

Hi Lee – I can really only describe it as a high-pitched grating/squealing that was at first continuous for a few seconds, and is now intermittent – but again, only on the ‘slow’ part of the wash cycle. The local parts place tells me there’s a centrifugal switch which they have for $100 which is nearly the cost of a whole new motor ($150) – unfortunately (and understandably) neither are returnable, just like the new transmission! Is it safe for me to take the motor off, secure it to a heavy wood board, reconnect it and run it through all the cycles to see what it does and when? (I already ran it without the pump)

Hey there! Great website, loads of info and very helpful!
My Whirlpool 3 speed automatic wouldn’t spin or agitate, so I tore into it and found the coupler is broken. Meanwhile, I wanted to see if there was more to the problem so I spin the transmission input shaft by hand, but there is no resistance and the tub does not turn when I do this.
My question: does this mean there is a problem inside the transmission? Or should I not expect anything to engage at hand turning speed?

Hi Robert, I found that hand turning was not a reliable way of testing the transmission. The neutral drain pack has some weights on it and unless they spin fast enough, they won’t engage so the drive may stay in neutral. If you had a broken coupling, then that would explain the failure to spin or agitate.

Wow! Thanks for the quick reply! Now I can just order the coupler and hopeffully that will be all it needs. It’s great to be able to benefit from someone else’s experience – I wasn’t looking forward to tearing into that transmission.

Hi Lee, this is Bill, n6cq, in PA. I envy your fb qth and skiing! My problem is that after replacing the clutch, I can’t seem to get the transmission to go back in all the way. It stops about 3/4″ from the mounts. Do you have any idea what I’m doing wrong?

I’d check the agitator to see what’s blocking it. In order to get the transmission out, you likely had to unscrew the top off of the agitator, and remove a seal to expose a screw that goes into the end of the transmission shaft. Also, I recall that there are splines at the end of the shaft and then need to align with the spline in the agitator so if it’s not going in, try rotating the agitator or shaft a little bit.

Bill L – I think I read somewhere that the brake alignment can slip when the trans is out, so you might want to check that. Sorry I don’t recall which webiste it was on, I was lucky with my new trans as it went straight in. (but not so lucky that it didn’t fix my problem!)

Hi Lee- I have read most of your responses to a Whirlpool washer not spinning during the spin cycle. My washer is model # LSQ7533JQO. I have eliminated the lid switch because the machine will run when I hold the switch down, I replaced the motor coupler, the agitator dogs look good, the shaft teeth where they connect to the agitator look good,so I think we are down to either the clutch or transmission. During the spin cycle, if I reach in and turn the agitator by hand it will start to move then it does finish the spin cycle. I’m hoping that will shed some light as to what the problem is (hoping it is the clutch and not the transmission!!)

We have a top load Admiral washer(18 yrs old) and it stopped spinning. I was researching the possible problems on the internet and found your transmission article. Turns out that the shoulder pawl stud was broken in this transmission too. A few hours later I had it fixed. Thanks for taking the time to put this on the web. It saved me a lot of headaches and a few $$$ as well!

It sounds like you have a slipping clutch, but you may want to figure out if it slipping for some reason other than being worn out. You should check to make sure that the basket doesn’t have something built up between it and the tub. If you want to see a video on how to replace the clutch, here’s a good on on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVc6SZ2DD4U

Hi Mike – I think yours is the first report of the exact same problem I found… a sheared pawl stud… and on an Admiral brand, no less! I recall the Admiral brand from my youth. The appliances offered by Admiral are manufactured by Whirlpool and exclusively sold today through Home Depot. Back in the 1990s, Montgomery Ward had that deal. I would imagine that’s where your washer came from.

Wow! Who would think that a transmission write up 3 years would still come up in search results. Glad to see it’s still active. I just finished replacing the motor coupler in my Kenmore Series 80 direct drive washer. The model # plate disappeared so I’m winging it. The coupler did not appear broken until I removed it. The motor side was cracked and the inside flats were rounded out. So, replaced w/ the super duty commercial quality one (hmmm) and now it will do everything but spin. I disassembled the transmission, nothing looked particularly worn…no broken pieces or sheared material so reassembled it. Still won’t spin…should I just go ahead and buy the neutral drain kit and a spin gear? It didn’t look bad but then, I didn’t have a new one with which to compare…

I’d check to see if the clutch/brake assembly is worn out. If so, the outside of the clutch will be spinning, but the basket will not. Also, check to see if you can manually get the basket to spin. Sometimes dirt or clothing can get stuck between it and the tub.

Have you taken off the top cap and popped out the dust seal to expose the bolt? If so, and you removed the bolt, are you saying it’s still stuck? Perhaps it’s rusted together, and if so, I’d recommend some liquid wrench and a gentle tap with a rod resting on the shaft from the top while pulling on the agitator. You may need an assistant to hold a rod to tap against the shaft. It would be a 3-handed operation.

Hi Lee, Happy New Year!
Your info is very helpful.
My washer won’t spin. The coupler looks perfect and the clutch looks fine as well as the brake part. I am attempting to take apart the transmission, I have all the screws out but can not get the lid off. Do i just use a razor blade?

Hi Lee, thanks for your page. Just fininshed the job. Took around two hours to complete and now works a treat. I used the neutral-pak AW (285595) and it was fairly simple. The gear box cover would not budge however a screwdriver levered it of ok. Cheers from Geelong in Victoria Australia

Hey Lee, awsome link!
So I have a whirlpool estate doing the same as yours. Agitates fine but does not spin, I have it torn apart and want to tear into the trans but want to make sure it is not the clutch first. How can I diagnose a slipping clutch? I can spin it in its casing without much force and it is fairly gresy inside casing.
When I spin the trans manually counterclockwise it goes into agitate and I can’t stop shaft from turning. But clockwise for spin the clutch spins but the shaft doesn’t. So I was thinking it was the trans. What is your expert opinion?

Hi Lee, here’s a deeper question re: Whirlpool transmission. I actually do this for a living nearby in Sullivan County (I’m in Hurleyville, NY and my company is called The Fix-It Shop)and I’ve just decided to see if I can repair a seized transmission that I got from a customer. Breaking it down I see that the main drive gear was seized on the vertical shaft. I cleaned and burnished the shaft and in inspecting the gear there was some scoring on the gear hole wall near the top;I’m sure low oil finally caught up with this unit. I found an FSP 3946631 on the gear. Do you know of anyone who sells this part? I just might install an output shaft seal and drain pack, refill it and use it as a replacement in one of the machines in a laundromat that I also own.I have a feeling that if there’s enough oil in the case, it shouldn’t seize up again….comments?

Slight update to the last post. I intend to install an input seal since that’s probably where the oil leaked out. And one final question; is the main vertical shaft that the spin gear and other parts sit on supposed to somehow rotate? Mine seems pressed into the case.

I have a Kenmore Series 80 (Whirlpool) top loading machine that was leaking transmission fluid. It leaked quite a bit out. Last night it stopped spinning and won’t spin. We recently replaced the clutch plate. Any suggestions of what it could be? Thank you!

If you have already replaced the clutch, I’d take a look in the transmission. It’s not that much more work than replacing a clutch, although it is a bit messier. If it agitates, then that would eliminate the motor coupling. -Lee

Hi lee I have read many of the comments and some sound like my problem, but my transmission makes a thunking sound. I have checked clutch and brake and both seem fine. Took transmission out and made same sound. Should my agitator be movine while on spin cycle? And my washer won’t spin when too heavy load or too wet of clotheing leaving them all wet after cycle. Should I open the transmission and if so do you think the neutral kit would fix this problem. Thanks.

As I recall, when the tub is spinning, the agitator should be spinning as well in concert with the tub. There are some parts up in the agitator that could be the problem. You might want to take a look at that too. It’s sort of a one-way clutch. As for the neutral drain kit, those are the only replaceable parts in the transmission, so if it’s not one of those, then the only option is to replace the whole transmission. The gears don’t generally fail and those would be the only other parts in the transmission that you could replace, if they were available.

This article and the comments are really helpful. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with my washer but now I think it is probably the transmission. I wanted to pass along this link I came across though during my search.. when you click the problem your washer is having the next page tells the possible cause to the problem, just though it was kinda cool and would probably be helpful to others with washer issues. Thanks for such the awesome post!http://www.partselect.com/washing-machine+repair+repair.htm

[...] found the repair to be of intermediate difficulty, certainly not as hard as repairing the transmission in a washing machine, and the result was very gratifying. And if it ever happens again, I could fix it in a few minutes, [...]

The halves of my transmission have what appeared to be a thin bead of silicone caulk. The seal wasn’t damaged in splitting the case so I didn’t replace it. My case halves were very flat and came together without any gaps. If you notice that the seal that was on there is in any way damaged, you may want to clean the surfaces and re-apply a small bead of silicon caulk that you can get at any auto parts store. The thin bead will get squashed when you tighten all the case screws. In my case the seal was so thin you could see right through it like it wasn’t even there.

Model LRS5233ANO I start my load in the Regular cycle, it presoaks and agitates but will not empty or rinse or spin. So after it agitates I always move the dial to the Permanent press 6 minute mark and it completes the full cycle cycle (it doesn’t work at the 10 minute mark) I’m wondering it this is a timer issue rather than something wrong mechanically?

love this sight your great, couldnt done it alone. I took apart my machine and found the clutch is because of mud under the basket, but the sticker with the model# came off at some point and time thus I dont have it, is there another way to get my model#?

If your clutch needs to be replaced, you may just want to remove it and take it to your local appliance parts store. It’s a commonly replaced item and they may be able to match it up with the correct replacement part by looking at it.

I have a 3 1/2 yr old Whirlpool topload washer. When you open the lid while it’s spinning, and as it ends the spin cycle, it doesn’t stop quick like it should, but just “spins down”. When this occurs, it makes a loud knocking noise, ’til the spin stops. When you manually turn the inner tub around, at one point it seems to catch in like, a notch, or something like that. I suppose this has something to do with the spin brake? This is a problem I’ve never encountered in past experiences. Thanks for any advice.

Great article. My problem seems to be a variation. The washer works fine, but, during drain and spin, the washer emits a squealing noise. Thought the clutch was slipping – replaced, but no help. Noticed that the basket was spinning during drain. From reading the service manual, I think the transmission is not shifting into neutral during drain. Does this sound like I’m headed in the right direction, and would the neutral drain pack be a good next step?
Thanks.

The brake which is part of the clutch assembly is responsible for keeping the tub from spinning around unless it’s being driven by the motor. So if that is broken or worn out, you might experience a problem like you describe. I’m not an expert in the newer machines, so you may want to ask on one of the other forums or talk to your appliance repair shop.

The only parts I know of that are replaceable in the transmission are those items included in the neutral drain pack, and if any of them are broken, it could give rise to a problem like you describe where it won’t shift into neutral, although I don’t know how it would make a squealing noise. I’d take the transmission apart and look for anything that is broken. If it’s one of the parts that comes in the neutral drain pack, then it’s a cheap repair.

First and foremost thank you for putting this site up. Here goes. Whirpool Stylemaster makes a banging noise only in Normal and Permanent press modes. Works fine in the gentle cycle. Also noted its not agitating back and forth, It just a forward push all the time while making the banging noise. Took trans apart and found no damaged items but changed out the that two piece plastic agitator cam and follower that wore out one before. No improvement is noted…

If the transmission looks good, it might be the clutch inside the agitator. You can download the service manual which is linked at the end of that article and see this clutch on page 24 in figure 57. Take a look at the clutch and clutch dogs and see if they are broken.

There is also a clutch/brake assembly below that might be broken. That’s just above the transmission.

Our Whirlpool direct drive began with a whining and sounded like it was a jet engine about to take flight. A few days later the spin cycle stopped working. I did some research and found it may be the clutch is burned out since it was getting very hot. So I replaced the clutch/brake assembly…really easy. The washer began spinning and I thought it was all fixed. I put a regular load in and found that the drum stopped spinning again and the clutch was very hot. Should I tear into the transmission and replace the neutral drain pack? Or will that be throwing good money after bad? Maybe I should replace the 5 year old washer???

It sounds like the basket is stuck in the tub. A previous commenter found his problem was dirt stuck between the tub (which is stationary) and the basket (the part with holes in it that is supposed to spin). The clutch mechanism includes a brake that is intended to make the basket stop spinning when the motor is not trying to turn it, so it’s normal to have resistance to being able to spin the basket clockwise, but once the brake is de-activated, which happens when the motor tries to spin the tub, the basket should spin freely. You should be able to spin it about a revolution clockwise before the brake stops it, or indefinitely counter clockwise with little resistance. If you can’t do that, then perhaps some dirt or clothing is stuck between them.

Had gearcase apart again, Just cant find anything wrong with it. What would cause the clothes to be wrapped tight around the agitator ? In the wash mode it all looks to be going in one slow spin direction with agitation and a bumping noise. Thanks.

I should add that the tub is not spinning just the agitators rotating with them going back and forth but also moving ahead. Wash mode and spin mode they both rotate clock wise. Can the timer cause this kind of problem ? Thanks

Cluch and brake both looked fine, Could not turn it by hand when in locked position and is free in other direction. Drum does not move when agitating. So its not spinning and agitating at the same time. I took timer out and looked at the reed switches. Two on end seem not to be going up and down as the others are doing when I rotate the mechanism with the dial. Maybe these are the ones that control direction of motor. Like I said the agitate is going in the same direction as the spin. They should be opposite actions. This must be a very rare thing seeing I cant find a thing on line anywhere that addresses motor rotation direction issues. I guess I’ll go with replacing the timer because mechanically I cant find anything wrong. It looks to do what its supposed to do when I spun the gear case with a drill when I had it out of the machine.

Hi Lee,
I removed the transmission and shaft from my Kenmore washer (model 110.29842990) and inspected the gears. Everything appeared to be fine. I put new lube in, sealed it up, and went to replace it on the machine. However, I can’t get the assembly to seat correctly on bottom of the tub. The washer on top of the clutch assembly is bottoming out against the bottom of the tub, yet I still have about a half inch gap between the housing and the bolt mounts.

Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

Also, I got a schematic drawing from RepairClinic but it’s small and I can’t see it very well. Do you have a better schematic in PDF that I can zoom in and still see the various parts?

So I’ve replaced the dog ears, the motor coupler and the clutch and it turned about an inch and stopped with the load noise. It will drain not won’t agate oe spin. Is my next step the transmission? Kenmore washer about 4 years old?

HELP! My upright LAT8624AE Maytag,recently was overloaded-noisy & smoking! so I stopped it. Next day-put a few towels in and started cycle again- would not agitate & noise. But works fine on drain and spin! Pulled transmission as a retired guy who fixes appls. said it (tranny)was probably the problem- and to get a new washer! (But he wasnt sure) I don’t want to replace as full tranny is 214.00 for my model but wonder if it could be a part of the tranny and not the whole thing! We pulled the tranny apart ANYone have any ideas? Everything inside looks good.

My washer does the same thing as the one in the video where it makes a ratchet sound during the spin cycle, this was annoying for about a week and then the agitator started to bang and jerk during the spin cycle and twisted all the clothes around it. I have a used transmission to replace it with and I’ll tear down the old one to see if it can be rebuilt as a spare. The gears are available, at least the spin gear set is but it is $70 and the used trans was only $60.

I got my last used transmission at a local appliance repair shop, I have also ordered one off of eBay it lasted about 4 years.
On another note I tore down the transmission that was making the ratchet noise and agitating and spinning at the same time. it appears that the agitate cam is not disengaging the agitator drive shaft enough causing the splines on the agitate sector to drag on the splines of the agitator drive shaft during the spin cycle. The replacement parts, “agitator cam and follower assembly” list for $15. I’ll order them and see if that fixes the problem, if it does I’ll have a spare trans for that inevitable moment when the one I just put it dies.

My series 80 Kenmore had an intermittent spin. Sometimes it would spin and sometimes it would not leaving the wash soaking wet at the end. I checked all of the usual items, Lid switch, Timer, Clutch etc. and all were OK. This was driving me nuts until I came across your post showing the internal parts of the transmission. I determined my problem was in the transmission. I opened up the transmission and after draining out the old oil I discovered that the spring on the trip lever was broken off. The trip lever was the cause of my intermittent spin. I ordered the Neutral Drain Pack ( Now comes with a new spin gear included ) Cleaned out the gear case, Installed the new parts, Filled the transmission with new 75-90 synthetic gear oil and used Permatex Ultra Black to re-seal the cover. I also installed a new clutch while I had the transmission out. The washer now runs like new thanks to your post.

Last night, the wife and I picked up a used whirlpool washer (model #3954190). We had to put it on its back to get it into our van. When we removed the washer today we noticed there was a signifigant amount of oil that had leaked onto the back/inside of the washer. I am assuming the oil has leaked out of the transmission. Is there an easy way to refill the transmission without having to disasemble it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Bryan

You might search with a mirror and flashlight on the top of the case for a plug, but on my transmission case, there was no plug. The only way to refill it was to take it apart. I think that the reason there is no plug is because it wouldn’t be possible to see the oil level. On my transmission, the oil level was just below the seam of the top and bottom case.

Lee, I have this old Whirlpool top load washer and every function works ok but some time back it developed a transmission oil leak but I fixed the leak but sometimes now it’s a little noisy in the washcycle but I kind of think it’s because it might be a little low on oil ? I think I might just deill about a quarter inch hole about 3/4 inch inside of the outer rim and tht should put me on the inside. add some 90 wt. gear oil and plug the hole with some kind of rubber stopper that you can get from the industrial supply houses. what are your thoughts? I reall don’t want to tear into this thing other than that! Hank

I think that the amount of work involved in drilling a hole and getting oil into it would be on par with just removing the transmission and filling by removing the top cover. That would also allow you to inspect it to see if there is any damage inside while you’re at it. That’s just my opinion.

Kenmore direct drive transmission. I had already done what you did to fix your transmission. Installed a neutral drain kit before I found your site, but I have a little different problem. This is what led me to your website. Thanks a lot by the way. Great info here. My problem is: The washer will fill, wash, agitate, but when it comes to the drain/spin cycle it will drain but will not spin. I can push the timer in and let the motor come to a stop then pull the timer back out and it will spin and drain fine. Sometimes it will work fine but mostly it will not spin the basket. I’ve torn into the gearbox about 6 times looking and trying to figure out what could be causing this problem but everything in the gearbox looks fine. I replaced the neutral drain kit just for practice. I can take a 1/2″ drill motor and spin the motor gearbox while it is apart and it locks up everytime?? When the problem is happening the ring and pinion gears in the gearbox are turning but the neutral paws are not locking into the upper plastic gear to turn and spin the basket. Still something not right in this gearbox. I just don’t get it. It’s like when you push the timer and stop the motor, when it stops it locks up then and will spin but it will not do this when during a regular cylce. Any ideas?? Thanks.

Hi Duane, After two minutes of spinning in the spin/drain direction, the motor should stop momentarily. This resets the neutral drain and allows the pawl to engage the spin gear. It sounds like that it not happening in the case of your washer. There is a pdf linked to the end of the article that talks about the theory of operation of the neutral drain kit, but you have to read it over several times to mentally digest what happens to allow the motor to spin in one direction (to agitate) and then in the other direction to drain the tub while the spin gear is in neutral. Once the motor stops spinning in that direction and resumes in the same direction, a pawl will engage the spin gear the next time it starts.

Since you can simulate the correct behavior of the neutral drain with your drill, and by manually stopping the motor, it sounds like the timer might be defective. It’s the timer’s job to stop the motor after the tub has drained, and it appears that is not occurring in your case so that’s what I’d check next. These timers may not be repairable, but I’ve opened them in the past and they have a molded cam that operate switches. It could be that the portion of the cam that operates that part of the cycle has worn down or broken off at the tip and that’s why it works sometimes but not all the time.

Thanks a bunch! Now that makes a lot of sense. What it boils down to is, I just didn’t understand how the gearbox worked. Now I know. I kept wondering if it could the timer. I will order one and try it and let you know how it turns out. Again, Thanks! This info here makes a difference!

If your clothes aren’t wrung out very well, you should check to see if the washer is entering a spin cycle. When my washer stopped spinning, the clothes ended up at the bottom soaking wet, instead of stuck to the side of the basket like they do when the spin cycle works like it should. If it’s still spinning, but just slowly, it could be an indication of a motor problem like a shorted coil.

Hi Lee. I am writing to you from Venezuela and I hope that you experience help me to solve a problem with my laundry machine. It is a Kenmore 80 series. It was working properly and all of the sudden it agitated and drained fine but does not spin, even I can heared the sound of the motor working. When I consulted some web pages, I thougth that it could be the clutch but when I got in the floor and saw under the laundry, I relaised that the clutch was spinning but the shaft doesn’t. Any way, I changed all the clutch’parts, but it work in the same way. Any Ideas? Thanks for you help. When I finished with my problem, I will open a web page like yours in order to help people in english and the spanish also to write my experiencies/ Oscar Leon

Hi Oscar, If the motor is spinning and the washer is draining properly, then it could be a problem inside the transmission. The first time the motor reverses direction from agitate to spin direction, the transmission will be in the neutral position. This is to allow it to drain the washer first. Then the timer stops the motor and starts it again in the same direction. Because of the way the neutral plate is designed, this time when it starts back up it should engage the spin shaft. If it doesn’t, then it may be an issue with one or more of the parts on the neutral drain kit.

Hi Lee. Thanks for you soon answer. Based in your comment, I revised a little more my Kenmore washer machine. I founded the problem in the basket drive block. The top part of it was gone and the spin drum turned freedly in the brake drive tube. I replaced the basket drive block and the laundry started to spin like a new one. It has worked for my family for 16 years continually without any problem. And this the end of the history. Thanks so much for your help.

Well done Lee,
For someone who sounds like they have not worked on washing machines before you have done a very detailed report on your efforts and obviously done a lot of research and it sounds like you have helped quite a few people in the process. Good Diagrams and pictures. Well done. I was actually looking for a Maytag gearbox repair, but was impressed with your research. I have done a fair amount of work on Whirlpool machines hear in Australia and I can not add any more to your explaination.

Hi Lee. Much impressed with your knowledge. I’m trying to figure out what’s wrong with my Kenmore series 70 washer. It worked fine for years, but all of a sudden it stopped agitating and spinning. I replaced the coupler, which seemed worn but not broken, and when I restarted the washer agitation was slowly weak and there was no spinning. When I tried it again, there was no agitation or spinning, but when I tried it a 3rd. time the weak agitation returned but still no spinning. The last time I tried it there was no agitation or spinning again.

My question is: how do I determine if the problem is either the clutch or the transmission ? Whirlpools trouble shooting section in their manual says that if the coupler replacement doesn’t repair agitation and spinning, then the transmission needs to be replaced.I’d rather not work on the transmission, but clutch replacement doesn’t seem like too much work. It’s recommended to see if the clutch moves, which indicates the transmission works, but my question is, where do I look ? Under the washer where the tranny connects to the driveshaft, or inside the tube after you remove the agitator ? It’s also recommended that the clutch is felt for heat. Do you touch the clutch under the tub inside the washer ? Or touch it inside the tub on the drive shaft ? Thanks for any diagnostic advice you can give me. Also, I should mention that I hear the motor running all the time-sounds disconnected but not cranky or loud,and the washer drains perfectly….

If neither the agitation nor the spin seem to work properly, I’d check the transmission. I know its a dirty job, but if you capture the oil in a container and use mechanics nitrile gloves, you won’t get too dirty. If that sounds like to much work, perhaps you can try looking at the clutch when the washer is operating and see if it’s slipping which would indicate a problem with the clutch. There’s another clutch mechanism in the agitator which is independent of the one that spins the tub. It would seem unlikely that both clutches would fail simultaneously, but you may want to inspect them both before tackling the transmission. The transmission is not generally considered a repairable item, except for those parts included with the neutral drain kit. The gears are not orderable separately so if they are bad, you’ll need a new or rebuilt transmission.

Hello, i think i have the same problem… it origianly started as a broken motor coupler, fixed it , put it back together , tested it but when it spinned it tripped the breaker, so i thought it might be the clutch or brake, both good, then i thought something under the drum, took spanner nut off, little dirty but not bad, put it back together, then i thought maybe drive tube, back apart… it was clean and smooth, so last try, i put it all together, turned it on , it filled agitated, then i notice it’s spinning full of water, too much load click the breaker, now i found your page, and im thinking that’s whats wrong, ( neutral pack ) in transmission, ive had it out so many times now lol…. any tips will help… and my model does have the neutral pack i have the original parts booklet… p.s.s to all…. alot of sharp edges on these machines, i sliced my knuckle good, worse then any car has bit me… thanks for any help, Michael

I bought a new transmission and clutch for my kenmore washer, I have removed my old one and am trying to put everything back together, but the transmission doesn’t fit like the old one. I cannot tighten the bolts as there is a small space between the parts. I have looked to see what might be in the way and do not see any obstructions.

Hi Kim, I think the shaft may not be lining up inside the agitator. Try spinning the agitator so that the splines on the shaft will line up with the mating part on the agitator. I seem to recall that being an issue when I was re-assembling the transmission.

i just took my trany apart neutral parts were good, and for Kim, make sure the clutch spring and the brake spring arn’t hitting each other..testing now…. still spins with water no neutral, im thinking it is the speed switch..

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My Kenmore washer 11023812100 OCCASIONALLY will not spin after a drain. Have eliminated the lid switch by bypassing and rebuilt the clutch. When she does spin, she spins strong so coupler is good. I can turn the timer to spin and she’ll spin strong. I am thinking timer are maybe a broken pawl return spring in the transmission. Any ideas?

Hi Gene, I’ve been exchanging email with one reader recently who had a similar problem and he found it was related to the oil becoming thick and sticky. The problem was fixed by removing the old oil, cleaning the transmission and replacing it with new gear oil. So you might want to take the transmission apart and look at the oil and while you’re at it, see if any parts are broken.

on mine i found the spring that goes around the plastic gear. i think it is the “cam delay spring” had popped off, and also i found from flipping it on its back so much checking things, there was a single white wire going to the motor and it was kinda loose so i squeezed it some with pliers so it went on tighter, like a flat little old speaker connector, so far it has been spinning just fine, i also changed out some of the oil…. the picture at top is accurate, and that spring is flat and round , and it goes around the plastic spin gear cam…. good luck and check that wire too…

most of the neutral drain problems comes from the spin gear cam not the thickness of the oil or how long the machine has to warm up, I repair these machine problems frequently and learned that the spin gear cam is at fault, it is built of plastic and is subject to wear due to the friction when it holds the latch in place, there is a small amount of wear on the contact point where the cam meets the latch which can be guaged for thickness, this is the only part that needs to be replace generally, I just fix this part without purchasing a whole neutral drain kit, the cam is easy to repair and only takes a minute or so to do this, i see many post on this type of problem and seems everyone is at a loss to the cause, this may be a little difficult for first time experiences but not to difficult with knowledge as to what is causing the failure to neutral spin

Great post!!! Replaced the drain kit and refilled with oil. No problems as yet. I believe most of our “won’t spin” problems were from the low amount of oil in the tranny however the spin cam did have some wear. First cycle would usually work as it should but after that, no spin cycle. Thanks for the post.

Please excuse if this has already been covered, but I was having problem during the spin cylce on my 11 year old Kenmore washer. It would make this awful grinding noise and the spin basket and agitator would basically seize up. I took apart the transmission and everything looked fine (expected it to look like a gernade had gone off inside) but I noticed the agitate cam and cam follower at the bottom of the agitator shaft assembly were not moving smoothly and did not have a repeatable, precise feel to them. Basically, they were worn out. Unfortunately these are not servicable parts so the complete agitator shaft (#389387) needed to be replaced but it still was only 1/3 the cost of replacing the entire transmission (~$60 with shipping). The machine is back in running order now and btw – is much quieter and sounds almost new. The play from wear that developed overtime was causing the agitator shaft to make quite a racket during the agitate and spin cycles and eventually it just wore out completely.

Hi Steve, I was just working with another reader with a similar problem. His agitate cycle made a lot of noise and the agitator bottom only moved in one direction, instead of going back and forth. It caused the clothes to wrap around the agitator. The agitate gear is not rigidly attached to the shaft, it has some internal splines that engage and disengage when the washer goes in and out of the agitate cycle. These splines only engage about .1″ and so if they are not engaging enough, they can wear out and you can’t really see the evidence because they don’t generate a big pile of ground up metal in the transmission. In his case, the wear was in one direction, so the washer still agitated, it was just loud and only moved clockwise.

It’s good to know that the shaft is available separately and not too expensive (compared to a new washer).

Lee I appreciate your site and the forum where others can ask questions and provide feedback. I have a 10 year old whirlpool and it is not wringing all of the water out of my clothes. The repairman gave a solution and price that is discussed in your link. I am not confident to replace the transmission myself but feel more comfort that the transmission is the problem with my machine. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and patience.

Hi DRME, If your washer is spinning, but just not at the right speed, i.e., too slow to wring out the clothes, it may also be related to the clutch/brake mechanism which will slip when it wears out. That part is not as expensive to replace as the transmission, but it likely to take the same amount of labor since you have to take off the motor and transmission to get to it.

Rick wrote you on January 20 2010 and spoke of hammering out the input shaft. He never mentioned getting any parts from anywhere and I cannot find them. This is the best site I have found discussing gearcase issues but no one has discussed this anywhere else like Rick did. Do you recall if someone has these parts? The best I can find is a whole new or rebuilt gearcase and that is about $185.00 plus special shipping.

On my gearcase the nylon spacer closest to the outside of the housing has worn away. I don’t know if this is adding to any issues though the oil level was low when I opened the cover and I have gear grease on the floor. So maybe changing the seal would help with the leak. It seems the leak is very very slow. I am going to replace the neutral cams and levers for good measure though they seem to be in good shape. Maybe after cleaning thing up, changing the parts and new 90 weight oil the unit will stay in neutral while the water pumps out.

Hi Louie, I didn’t see a posting from January 20, 2010, from Rick, but I did find one from February 20, 2010. He talks about removing the input shaft. In an earlier posting from Nov 17, 2009, one commenter mentioned removing the seal using a self tapping screw as shown here: http://www.davesrepair.com/drsn/JanFeb08bi.htm

It talks about removing and replacing the lower seal which would be necessary if your transmission is leaking.

Great Site, just wanted to share my experience with my Whirlpool washer / dryers in case it’s helpful for someone else to know:

Bought these machines new about 1995. From what I’ve read the Whirlpool was some one the most reliable and easy to work on for the price and now nay modern machines are extremely unreliable and problem prone (just read amazon reviews). So I plan on keeping these working for many years more.
I know things can go wrong one after another when these machines get a certain age but once those items are fixed, they should be very dependable for many years.

My Washer:
Just installed my 3rd motor coupling. The second had the improved metal sleeve but now the gear box input shaft is a bit rounded. Here’s the fix I hope lasts: When I installed the new coupler half on the shaft, I first filled the coupler hole with a small amount of plumber’s putty freshly kneaded. I then used a socket and hammer to make sure the coupler half was all the way seated, then I used the hammer and a screw driver handle to bang in the putty to fill any voids between the shaft and the coupler shaft-hole. I let the machine sit for 2 hours while the putty cured hard. Hopefully this will last. If anyone else has a better way to deal with a rounded shaft, please let me know here.
The back of the machine was not level one day and I found that the self leveling rear legs were stuck. I was able to get them working like new by adding some grease to the connecting bars contact points.
I had the agitator dogs go out last month needing replacement, very easy and cheap repair.
The washer is been good through the years, I did have to replace the lid switch twice. I used the plug from the first bad switch for a temporary bypass plug for the lid switch when trouble shooting the machine with the cover off for repairs.
I did replace the motor 3 years ago, was a bit pricey, like $85, but worth it.
Those are all the repairs I remember.
I did read somewhere that when the clutch starts slipping, a metal(s) washer can be installed on the clutch spring end(s) to give the spring more tension. Someone may find that trick helpful here.
Under tighten those screws for the plastic end caps of the machine’s control panel or the plastic will crack.

Gas DRYER:
I recently had to replace the timer switch because it was not always heating in the auto cycle. This was expensive, like $95 but I had taken it apart and found burned contacts from the years of use and after trying to repair the contacts, gave up and the replacement appears to have upgraded contacts. If you order one, make sure it’s the right one.
I replaced the gas valve 2 solenoids before I discovered it was the timer switch but the part was cheap and many times goes out eventually many say.
Whenever I’ve opened the dryer up, I oil the idle wheels the drum rolls on as I know these can dry up and fail over the years.

Two great machines!

I encourage everyone to Please consider how much and how you wash and dry your fabrics.
Our planet and the plant and animal life is being destroyed by us.
Don’t believe me, believe all the scientists and reporters around the world trying to educate us about the massive problem.

You can save yourself time and money and reduce your impact on your machines and our planet by at least these things I’ve discovered:

PLEASE Consider and adjust your habits to do:

Wearing clothing more or hand spot cleaning if needed before washing them, they will last longer too before fading and falling apart, and your body’s natural scent is a natural expression of yourself, your loved ones should appreciate and find it desirable, otherwise use cologne and perfumes, our bodies are made from this planet but we have reached such a separation in our minds, advertisement has convinced us to be afraid of dirt, don’t be brainwashed,

Reduce the water level and detergent settings to only what is needed for the size load and dirt level, read your machine’s owner’s manual, you’ll be surprised how much your machine is designed to wash at once, and don’t believe the detergent’s directions on how much to use, they want you to spend more and most of us have desk jobs these days, not digging holes.

Stop buying white fabrics that show dirt in no time, permanently stain easily, and even using bleach, large amounts of detergent, super hot water never gets them as white as when they were new, why put yourself through such struggle,

Almost always buy cotton blends or 100% synthetics (polyester/nylon etc.) instead of 100% cotton, you’ll find they’re much more stain resistant, clean easier-less detergent & less heat, dry faster, wrinkle much less, fade much less and are more durable fabrics,

This may not be for everyone, but hang your clothes when possible skipping the dryer, buy a clothes line, the outside air and sun make clothes so so fresh and crisp smelling, you’ll love fresh sunshine sheets,

Avoid buying oversized towels if your body does not need it, smaller towels are way more sexy and practical especially when it comes to washing and drying,

Instead of washing area rugs, shake and/or vacuum them, if needed, steam clean as you do attached carpet. The washer is too hard on them, tearing or melting the non slip backings off making them unsafe, you don’t wash attached rugs, you shouldn’t need to wash area rugs, it’s obsessive,

Great website! I started reading through the dozens of posts here to try to figure out how to resolve my problem…but still not sure. I replaced the clutch assembly on my whirlpool…and it worked! It worked great. Went from no spinning to spinning really hard. Now…only two washes later…NO spin. Now my clothes are wet and wife is frustrated. Any ideas would surely help. No strange noises…it just will not spin now. Prior to the clutch replacement, I had to open and close the lid and turn the tub several times to get a spin going…and even then it would still leave the clothes a bit wet. After the clutch – no water. Now – no spin…and really wet obviously.

Thought I would just throw this in as I talked to Lee some time ago as I had the same thoughts. Mine was somewhat low on oil as I had a leak on the floor under the tranny. I took it upon myself, but I think Lee would have split the tranny, added oil and reassembled. I drilled a quarter inch hole on the upper case on the end away from the shaft after carefully looking at pictures of the transmission on this site and determined it was a safe spot. Then with my pressure/suction gun I added some 80 weight gear oil and injected it into the tranny. with a piece of 1/16″ welding stock bent 90 degrees to about the depth of the whole tranny case, you can dip stick it. You can get a 1/4″ rubber top hat plug or make one as I did and press it into that hole until it bottoms out after you added the oil. Industrial supply houses are a good source for plugs or things that you can convert but you need a good round surface to fit that hole, so if you aren’t handy with your hands, I would reccomend buying one. good luck

Great web-site. And here I thought I was the only person who tries to fix things himself! Kudos to all of you. My problem is with the spin cycle not going fast enough to dry clothes modestly. The wet clothes blew out the dryer belt. Replaced that and went to repair what I thought was a slipping washer belt only no belts on my washer! Clutch must be slipping? I dont want to take apart ( I am good at disassembling not re) Any advice well appreciated.

If your tub is spinning, but at the wrong speed, it could be a slipping clutch, something caught between the basket and tub, or a bad motor coil causing the motor to spin slowly. The clutch is not too expensive, and it is easier to replace than parts inside the transmission. You should be able to spin the tub by hand counter-clockwise. It may spin a little by hand clockwise, but then the brake stops it. If you sense some friction when you spin it counter-clockwise, it may be caked-on dirt in between the tub and basket (there’s a photo of a bad case of that in the article). I also recall someone saying they had a sock or rag caught between the two.

Hi Lee, I just replaced the tub seal/bearing and the lower bearing because the unit was leaking terribly. I put the washer back together now leaks it agitates fine but when it goes to spin it makes a machine gun noise. I see the black piece on the end of the transmission keeps riding up and over the white piece on the end of the transmission. Any thoughts as to why this is and how to fix it. I had to remove the tranny when I replaced the lower bearing by taking those pieces off. Could I have cracked something inside the tranny? I also noticed that as the agitation cycle continues I hear some sort of clicking sound as it gets further into the cycle. The unit has been so noisy for so long with those bad bearings that I don’t know if that is even normal. I also noticed that the unit now starts to agitate even with the lid open, it never used to do that. Please help. Thanks

I am not sure what you mean by “the black piece on the end of the transmission keeps riding up and over the white piece on the end of the transmission”. I don’t know which end you’re referring to. The transmission in my washer has one input (a coupler that comes in the side) and two outputs, the part that drives the clutch for spinning, and the long shaft that rotates the agitator back and forth. If you would like to see a good video on how the transmission works and how to disassemble and reassemble the transmission, here is one on YouTube.

It is normal for the washer to agitate with the lid open. It’s the spin cycle that is interrupted by opening the lid, presumably for safety reasons.

Oh, mine is a Maytag now owned by Whirlpool. It is a single shaft. One end goes into the tub and moves the agitator the other end (with the black and white clutch pieces straight down and a single belt drives it. It never used to agitate with the lid open. I noticed to that none of the rinse cycles are working. It just fills with water.

So then you only know about your particular one, then I take it. Would you know anyone? All the help sites I can find so far, even for the bearing say it is too hard call a repair man. Funny thing is it was not so hard to do so I don’t know why they would jsut tell a diy to give up so easily.

It turns out that the screw on the bottom of the transmission shaft loosened during agitation so when it came time for the spin cycle the clutch slid down too far on the shaft(partly off the shaft) allowing too much clearance so the black mating piece rode over it making a clicking sound from the force of spinning.

Also when I took the unit apart again to fix the tranny screw that I noticed that the lid switch in disassembly got hung up on the hinge for the top that allows you to swing it back out of the way. When you push the top way back the unit seems prone to do that . So I’ll keep an eye on it when I reassembly.

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Lee, I own a whirlpool top load 11yrs old washing machine. The problem is everything works but the high spin, it will low spin. It will make a whirring noise when spinning then will start slipping and make a banging noise that gets worse. Not sure but the whirring noise seems to come from a gear in the transmission. I had to replace the motor coupling, I think it was related to the spinning problem. Any thoughts. Thanks

Hi Tim, I think that the only way to tell for sure is to take the transmission apart. If any gears are stripped, it should be evident what needs to be done. However, I don’t think the gears are available as parts, which means you may need to replace the transmission if they are stripped.

If I remember right there’s a spring inside the clutch around clutch shoe does Kausen above the gears box.
This spring I read one time, it can go out lose-it’s tension over the years but that just simply adding two small bolt washers at the ends of the spring, between the spring and where it seats on both sides can make it like new again I’ve read. ..
But I can’t remember if that spring is what has to do with the spin cycle.
The older era Whirlpool Gearboxes are supposed to be very reliable and some people are intimidated by opening them up plus you don’t want to expose the messy oil or risk The little parts coming out, then it can be difficult to put them back together again. Plus you can’t see through the oil so you have to pretty much remove The oil to inspect the pieces of the gearbox.

So I wouldn’t start with the gearbox unless you pinpointed that that has to be the problem.

Lee, this is exactly what happened to me but I was able to remove the broken screw with a set I purchased to remove striped screws from Harbor Freight. By the way, there is a substitute for gear oil, is there a substitute for the Gear sealer instead of the Loctite suggested? Please let me know. Thank you and great feedback…

Lee, I’ve replaced the timer and the neutral drain kit, but it still locks up in the spin cycle so that the lights dim. I’ve jumpered the motor so that I can get it un-stuck by switching between agitate and spin. Any ideas?

Hi Mark, That’s a new one. I’ve never heard of one that did that, but I’d go looking around for anything that might be causing the basket to get stuck on the drum. Since you’ve obviously had the transmission apart, I doubt the problem is internal or you’d have seen some sort of damage to the gears. I suppose it could be a bad bearing or something stuck between the drum and the basket, as some have reported in the past. If that’s not it, then it could be a motor with a shorted winding which would draw excess current but not produce sufficient torque. The other possibility is the clutch/brake mechanism which is just above the transmission. It needs to let go of the basket during the spin cycle so you can check and see if that’s happening.

I just finished resurrecting a Whirlpool WTW5200SQ0 that wouldn’t spin and then had been banished to the outdoors. When I started work on it, rain water had been sitting in it for about 6 months. If you want to read the rest of my story, see below.

Mainly, I wanted to let everyone know how to find part numbers specific to their Whirlpool washers.

First, find your model number. On my machine, a top loader, I open the lid and look just under the area where the lid attaches to the rest of the washer. The model number is always posted somewhere on or around the edge of the lid or door.

Then go the Whirlpool.com, click on Manuals & Literature, enter your model number, then click search. Scroll down to click the link for a PDF of Parts List.

Choose the area of the washer that you are working on, identify the part number that you need, then use this number to search online for the best price.

Amazon seems to be least expensive, and with Prime, you can have your parts in two days. Sears Parts Direct is a good source for parts that you can’t find on Amazon.

Got it? Now, here’s the rest of my repair story:

Among many other parts, I had to replace the entire transmission because the transmission shaft was worn near the agitator splines, where the shaft sits inside the upper center post bearing. The extreme wear caused a fatal high speed spin wobble. It actually threw the agitator.

This machine also got new center post bearings and seals, new agitator dogs & agitator bolt & rubber washer, new basket drive, new drive block, new clutch, new outer tub seal, and new tub springs.

I had to buy a spanner wrench (Clothes Washer Wrench w/Adapter TB123A through Amazon) to get the drive block nut off because without that special tool, I couldn’t get the nut to turn at all. Other people may not need this tool—the drive block nut should not be that difficult to turn.

I didn’t use a puller to remove the center post bearings because I have a cheap Harbor Freight press that worked quite well for this job. I used lithium grease to pack the seals and compressor oil to lube the bearings. Throwing the new bearings in the freezer for 1/2 hour before pressing them into the center post made the install easier.

I did find that it was easier to remove the tub springs by just removing the nut that holds the metal plate to the outside of the tub.

All told, I spent less than half the cost of a new machine but ended up with a washer that works like new. I even got a couple of cans of Rustoleum paint and now the washer is bright leaf green—really beautiful. Hooray for DIY!

Hi
thanks for all the great help i could find on your website I have a huge problem I need the main gear on my old model part no is 3946631 anyone able to assist me with details where to buy Cstock.a@multivacsa.com. Regards Jannie

This is a great post. It took me a lot of looking a learning to get to the bottom of it myself the first time. I can’t believe there is not more about this problem. I don’t think even most tech’s know what is going on. I am glad to see someone has taken the time to spell it out. With this problem it usually is to expensive to have a professional repair it so they end up going to the grave yard. However is you are a do it your self person it is doable. But I have never been able to find a youtube on it or anything. This is the first place I have found the right answer. Good job and thanks for the great post.

I have my Whirlpool washer apart and am rebuilding the transmission. The plastic wheel was definitely in trouble, but I continued on looking for additional problems.

After completely disassembling the transmission, I removed the shaft to decide whether or not to replace the cam agitator plastic pieces at the bottom (part number 285206). The plastic pieces on my shaft look fine, but what concerns me is that the cam agitator gear at the bottom of the shaft (which includes 285206) will spin on the shaft without spinning the shaft.

So I don’t understand how any of this gear is actually able to make the shaft spin for agitation or for spinning. Where and how does the physical connection take place?